Barb-wire machine.



No-. 739,2 4. PATENTED SEPT. 15,19o3..

E. WILLIAMS. BARB WIRE MACHINE. 7 APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10. 1903.

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E. WILLIAMS.

BARB'WIRE MACHINE, APPLIOATIOKPILED JAN. 10. 1903.

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H. WILLIAMS; BARB WIRE MACHINE. APPLICATION IILED JAN m, 1903.

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. y B. WILLIAMS. BARB WIRE-MACHINE. APPLIQLTIOI" FILED JAN. 10, 1903.

' PATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Fatented September 15, 190a.

EDMUND WILLIAMS, OF IR ONTON, OHIO.

BARB-WIRE 'MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 739,244, dated-September 15, 1 903.

Application filed January 10, 1903. Serial No. 138,509. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, E MUND WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ironton, in the county of Lawrence and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Barb-Wire Machines; and

I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improved barb-Wire ma- 7 chine for attaching the barbs to the strandwires forming the barbs while attaching the same to the strand-wires and twisting the strand-wires together; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices hereinafter fully described and claimed.

One object of myinvention is to efiect improvements in the mechanism for coiling the barb-wires on the strand-wires.

A further object of my invention is to ef- 'fect improvements in the means for spooling the wire and for. twisting the strand-wires.

Other objects of my invention appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a barb-wire machine embod yin g my improvements. Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail end elevation. Fig.4is'a transverse sectional viewtaken on the plane indicated by the line a a of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is similar viewtaken on the planeindicated by the lineb b of Fig. 1. Fig. 6isadetail vertical longitudinal central sectional View of the machine, showing the coiling-spindle and the coacting parts Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view'showing the coiling or barb-forming spindle and the elements which coact therewith to prevent it from rotating during the feeding of the barb-wires to the coilingpins. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view showing thetraveling guide-standard of the spool or reel carrying frame, the screw-shafts, and

the dog, which operate said standard. Figs.

9, 10, and 11 are diagrammatic views showing the disposition of the strand-wires and barb-wires at successive stages of the operation of the machine in forming the barbs and coiling the same between and on the strandwires.

The table or bed 1 of the machine may be either of the form here shown or of any other suitable construction. The same is provided ata suitable distance from one end thereof and midway between its sides with bearings for a vertically-disposed shaft 2, the-lower end of which is here shown as stepped in a which have their outer ends notched to re-' ceive the strand-wires, and the said radial arms are spaced apart to correspond with the Said shaft is provided at The same is spaces between the barbs of the strand-wires. V

The said slide 6 is connected to the crank 5 by a pitman 9. Hence when the shaft 2,- which is the counter-shaft of the machine, is rotated reciprocating motion will be imparted to the slide 6, as will be understood.

Alongitudinally-disposed shaft 10, which is under the central portion of the'table or bed 1, is journaled in suitable bearings and is provided with a miter gear-Wheel 11, which engages the wheel 4. Hence power is communiceded to the said shaft 10. The same is profvided at a'suitable distance from its inner end with a pair of oppositelyextending cra'nks 12. That portion of the table or bed which is in the vicinity of the said cranks has an opening-13. of suitable dimensions made therein, through which the cranks may operate. Near the said opening and on opposite sides of the table orbed 1 are vertically-disposed stand- ,ards or pillow-blocks 14, from each of which rises a pair of vertical guide-posts 15. Each of the said standards carries a fixed bearing 16 and a vertically-disposed bearing 17 the latter above the former. The bearings 16 carry lower wire-feed rollers 18, and the verticallymovable bearings 17' carry upper wire-feed rollers 19. To the u pper end of one of the posts 15 of each standard 14 is pivotally connected the inner end of a lever 20. Theintermediate portion of the said lever bears on the upper side of one of the vertically-movable bearings 17, andsaid lever carries a weight 21, which may be of any suitable construction, at its outer end. The function of these weighted levers, as will be understood, is to firmly compress the upper rollers 19 on the lower rollers 18, while allowing said rollers 19 to move vertically from said rollers 18. Said rollers are provided with annular registering grooves 22, adapted to engage the barb-wires a or those wires which are fed from opposite sides of the machine to the strand-wires and which by the operation of the machine are coiled about the strand-wires and cut in suitable lengths to form the barbs with which the strand-wires are equipped. By means of the weigh t-levers and the vertically-movable bearings which carry the upper feed-rollers 19 the barb-wire feed-rollers are caused under all conditions to efficiently frictionally engage the said wires and feed the same to the machine, while permitting obstructions on the said wires to pass through the said feed-rollers.

At the outer end of the shaft 10 is a sprocketwheel 23. The latter is connected by an endless sprocket-chain 23' to a similar wheel 24 on a shaft 25, which is journaled in suitable bearings 26 and is provided also with a spurgear 27 and a cam 28. It will be understood that power is communicated to the shaft from the shaft 10 by the said sprocket-wheels and sprocket-chain.

The gear 27 is engaged at all times by a gear 29 on a horizontally-disposed tubular cylindrical spindle 30. Thelatter is parallel with the shaft 25, is journaled in the bearings 26, as shown, and is provided at its inner end with a head 31. The gear 29 is loose on the spindle 30 and is provided with an annulus 32, which has a circumferential groove. The same is engaged by a strap 33, which is connected to the upper end of a rock-arm 34'. The said rock-arm is fulcrumed at its lower end, as at 36, and at a suitable distance from its upper end is provided with a lateral arm 37, which carries an antifriction tappet-roller 38. The latter is disposed to' bear in one side of the gear 27 and coacts with a semicircular or segmental cam 39, with which said gear is provided to move the said rock-arm alternately in reverse directions at each semirotation of said gear, and hence cause the gear 29 to be correspondingly moved longitudinally on the spindle 30 and hence to become alternately engaged and disengaged with a spur-gear 40, with which said spindle is provided, said spur-gear 40 and said gear 29 being provided with coacling ratchet -clutch members 41 to lock the gear 29 to the gear40 and disconnect it therefrom. Said gear 40 is fixed to the spindle 30. Hence the spindle is intermittently rotated in one direction while the machine is in operation, as will be under stood.

A stub-shaft 42 is journaled in one of the bearing-standards 26, is provided at one end with a spur-gear 43, which engages the gear 40, and is provided at its opposite end witha crank 44. The wrist of this crank is engaged by the upper end of a pitman 45. The lower end of said pitman is stepped in a recess at the free end of a spring-arm 46 to effect a pivotal connection therewith. The opposite end of said spring-arm is secured in any suitable manner to the table or bed 1. It will be understood that the free end of the spring 46 is depressed as the pitman is moved downwardly during a portion of the rotation of the crank 44, which revolves with by being geared to the spindle, and that the spring resists the rotation of the spindle 30 during such movement and causes the latter to tend to turn the gears 43 40 and the spindle in the reverse direction. This is for a purpose hereinafter stated.

In the hollow spindle 30 is disposed the strand-wire guide 47, which is cylindrical in form, is composed of a pair of longitudinallyseparable semicylindrical sections 48, and is provided in the opposing sides of said sections with longitudinal guide-grooves 49 of suitable diameter to permit the strand-wires to move lengthwise therethrough. The outer end of the said strand-wire guide is secured in a standard 50 by a set-screw 51 and the inner end thereof is flush with the face of the head 31 of spindle 30. The said head is provided with a pair of coiling-pins 52, which project from the outer side thereof and are suitably disposed with relation to each other.

The spindle 30 is provided at a suitable point with a ratchet-stop 53. The same is in position to be engaged by the free end of a detent 54, which is here shown as pivoted on the shaft 25. A spring 55, which is here shown as a coil retractile spring, is connected to the said detent and keeps the same normally in engagement with the periphery of the spindle, while permitting the detent to rise and clear the ratchet-stop 53. The detent coacts with the ratchet-stop to prevent retrograde rotation of the spindle while the gear 29 is unclutched from the gear 40 and the spring 46 is exerting its tension in the manner and by the means hereinbefore described, thus preventing excessive rotation of the spindle and predetermining the extent of rotary movement thereof and causing the spindle to hold the coiling-pins 52 in proper position to enable the barb-wires to be fed transversely across the face of the head portion 31 of the spindle, as shown indetail in Fig. '7.

A pair of fixed cutters 56 are disposed at opposite sides of and in proximity to the head 31. The barb-wires or those wires (1 from which the barbs are formed are fed under the said fixed cutters 56 by the feed-rollers hereinbefore described. A verticallymovable head 57 is carried in suitable vertical guides 58 and is provided with cutters 59, which move past and coact with the cutters 56. This vertically-m0vable head is operated by a bell-crank 60, which is fulcrumed, as at 60',

the horizontally-disposed arm of which is provided with an adjusting-screw 61, the

point of-which engages a removable stud 62 in an opening in the under side of said Verticallymovable head 57 and the approximately vertical arm of which is forked at its upper end and provided with a tappet-roller 62, which tappet-roller bears against one side' of and coacts with the cam 28 on the shaft to communicate oscillatory motion to the bell-crank, and thereby communicate vertiwhile severing the same from the wires a.

The said wires or are fed obliquely across and with reference to the strand-wires, as shown, and this oblique disposition of the barb-wires with reference to the strand-wires also facilitates the operation of the cutters in providing the barbs with sharpened prongs or points.

I will now describe means for rotating the feed-rollers 18 19 and causing themto feed the barb-wires.

On one side of each of the standards or pillow-blocks lt-ismounted an oscillating arm 65. The said oscillating arms are connected to thecranks 12 of the shaft 10 by means of pitmen 66. Hence oscillating motion is imparted to the said arms 65. Each of the rollers 18 is provided with a ratchet-wheel 67,

and the same is adapted to be engaged bya spring-pressed pawl 68, carried byone of the oscillating arms. Hence said arms, ratchet- I wheels, and spring-pressed pawls coact to rotate the barb-wire feed-rollers 18 19 by a step-by-step movement. This mechanism is timed to feed the wires or to the coiling-pins immediately after the previously-completed- 1 barbs have been formed, coiled on the strandwires, and severed from the'wires a.

I will now describe my improved means for winding the wires thus provided with barbs on aspool or reel and for simultaneously twisting the strand-wires between the barbs, and thus completing the manufacture of the barbed fencing-wire.

The frame 69, which may be of any suitable construction, is disposed at a suitable jdistance from the discharge end of the frame 1 andis alined therewith, This frame 69 is provided with bearings 70, in which is journaled a vertically-disposed shaft 71. shafthas a pulley 72, which is connected by an endless drive-belt to a pulley 74 on theshaft 2. Said shaft 71 is further provided with cone-pulleys 75', by means of which it may be driven by a suitable power-belt, as will be understood.

Said

At the upper end of theshaft 71 is a spoolor reel carrying frame 76, which is revolved by the saidshaft and is here shown as proards 77. The latter have bearingsfor,st u-b-' shafts 78 79, which are alined with each other.

Shaft 78 is provided at its outer end' with a beveled gear-wheel 80 and has at its in-.

.70 vided with a pair of vertically-disposed stand- 7 nor end a crank-arm 81 to engage one end or head of a spool or reel to rotate the latter to cause the wire to be reeled thereon. A'spool or reel is here shown at 82; It may be of any suitable construction adapted to be engaged with and rotated by the shafts 78 79 and disengaged therefrom.

The shaft 79 is provided with a spur-gear 83, which meshes with a similar gear 84 on a stub-shaft 85, which has its hearings in one of the standards 77, and stub-shaft 85 has a spur-gear 86 at its outer end. 'A pair of screw-shafts 87 88, which are parallel with each other, spaced apart, and disposed one at a suitable distance above the other, have their bearings in the said standard 77, and

meshing gears 89, and one of them is also provided with a gear 90, which is engaged by the gear 86.

Hence the said screw-shafts may be revolved in opposite directions.

The shaft 71 is provided near its upper end with a pulley 91. The same is connected by an endless belt 92 to apulley 93 on the lower end of a vertically-disposed shaft 94, which is journaled in suitable bearings with which the frame 77 is provided, and said shaft has a beveled pinion 95 at its upper end, which engages the beveled gear-wheel 80. Hence while the spool or reel carrying frame is rethe said screw-shafts are provided with intervolved by the rotation of the shaft 71 the shafts 78 and 79, which directly carry and ro-' rate the spool or reel, are also revolved, and the screw-shafts, which are intergeared and one of which is also geared to the shaft 79, arelikewise revolved.

The frame 76 is provided at its base at its corners with direction-sheaves 96. The same are connected by a traveling belt97. One lead of said belt is connected to a shifting weight 98, which is slidable on a guiding and supporting rod 99, with which the frame 76 is provided, and the lead opposite the firstmentioned lead is connected to a longitudinally-shiftable guide-standard 100-.' At the upper end of the said guide-standard is a,

guide-pulley 101, from which the wire is fed to the spool or reel, and the said guide-pulley by the mot-ion of the said guide-standard causes the wire to be coiled evenly on the spool or reel, as will be understood. The said guide-standard travels longitudinally on the screw-shafts 87 88 without engaging them. and carries a traveling dog 102, which is adapted tobe engagedalternately with the said screw-shaf ts in order to alternately. move.

the guide-standard in reverse directions.

This traveling dog is provided with a slot103, f

.' which is engaged by a-studlOt, with which the guide standard is provided, and the length of the said slot is to enable the said dog to be engaged with either of the screwshafts at will. The said dog is provided at its inner end with oblique reversely-disposed cam-faces 105, adapted to be alternately engaged by the similarly-shaped outer end of a detent 106. The latter is movable longitudinally in a guide 107, which is carried by the guide-standard 100, and gaged by a spring 108, which serves to keep said detent normally in engagement with one of the camfaces 105 of the dog and to permit the latter to be shifted from one of the screw-shafts to the other. The standards 77 are provided with oppositely-disposed cams 109 at the ends of the path traversed by the guide-standard, and said cams are adapted to coact with the dog 102 to shift the latter out of engagement with one of the screw-shafts and into engagement with the other at each end of the path traversed by the guide-standard, so that the latter-is caused to describe reciprocatory motion, as will be understood. The weight 98 counterbalances the guide-standard 100 and its connections and contributes to the regular rotary motion of the spool or reel carrying frame regardless of the position of the traveling guide-standard. The strand-wires are drawn through the spindle which carries the coiling-pins by the action of the pulley 8, carried by the reciprocating slide 6. From the said pulley 8 the wire as it is drawn from the machine passes under a similar pulley 11.0, here shown as mounted at one end of the table or frame 1, and from thence the wire passes upwardly over a pulley 111, which is suspended by any suitable means above and at a suitable distance from the central portion of the spool or reel carrying frame 76. The wire passes from said pulley or sheave 111 to the guide-pulley 101, hereinbefore described, and from the latter to the revolving spool or reel carried by the frame 76 and revolved in a plane at right angles to its own plane of revolution. This revoluble movement of the frame 76 and the spool or reel carried thereby causes the strand-wires as they pass from the pulley 110 of the machine to the guide pulley 101 of the reel-carrying frame to be intercoiled between the barbs thereon while being reeled on the spool or reel. By properly speeding the shaft 71 the strand-wires may be intercoiled to any desired extent.

I will now describe means for regulating the speed of the spool or reel carrying frame.

The shaft 71 has a drum-pulley 112. The same is engaged by a friction-band 113. The latter is connected by a cable or other suitable fiexible element 114 to a winch 115, on which is a ratchet=wheel 116,which is engaged by a gravity-pawl 117 to prevent reverse r0- tation of the winch. By turning the latter to appropriately tighten the cable 114 the tension or friction of the band 113 on the drumpul1ey-112 may be regulated at will.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inven tion will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a wire-barbing machine, the combination of a non-revoluble strandwirefeed guide, a revoluble tubular spindle on the same, having a barb-wire twister, a gear 40 fast to the said spindle and having a clutch member, driving means for the spindle including a continually-revoluble gear having a clutch member, and means to move the latter into and out of engagement with the clutch member of gear 40, to intermittently rotate the spindle, means to limit the extent of the intermittent rotation of the spindle, a gear 13 engaging and revolved by the gear 40, and a device operated by the gear 43 and including a yielding spring, to resist rotation of the spindle and prevent excessive rotation thereof, substantially as described.

2. In a wire-barbing machine, the combination of a strand-wire-feed device, barb-wire feeding and cutting devices, an intermittently-revoluble barb-wire-twisting device, means to intermittently rotate the same, and means, including a spring-actuated device to resist rotation of the barb-wire-twisting (1evice and prevent excessive rotation thereof, substantially as described.

3. In a wire-barbing machine, the combination of a strand-wire-feed device, barb-wire feeding and cutting devices, an intermittently-revoluble barb-wire-twisting device having a ratchet-stop, means to intermittently rotate the same, a pawl to engage the ratchet-stop, and means, including a springactuated device to resist rotation of the barbwire-twisting device, prevent excessive rotation thereof, and coact with the ratchet-stop and pawl to predetermine the extent of the rotation thereof, substantially as described.

4. In a wire-barbing machine, the combination of a strand-wire-feed device, barb-wire feeding and cutting devices,an intermittentlyrevoluble barb-wire-twistin g device, means to intermittently rotate the san1e,a crank geared to and rotated by the barb-wire-twisting device, a spring, a connection between the crank and spring to cause the tension of the latter to resist the rotation of the barb-wire-twisting device, and means coacting with said crank and spring, to predeterrnine the extent of the rotation of the barb-wire-twisting device, substantially as described.

5. In a wire-barbing machine, the combination of a reciprocatory strand-wire-drawing element, a counter-shaft having a crank, a

pitman connecting the crank to the said reciprocatory wire-drawing element, a shaft 10 geared to the counter-shaft, barb-wire-feeding devices, means, driven by the shaft 10, to operate said feeding devices, a shaft 25 driven by the shaft 10, a strand-wire-feed device, a barb-wire twister, means driven by the shaft 25 to impart intermittent rotary of gear 40 to intermittently rotate the spindle.

7. In combination with a wire-barbing machine, a reciprocatory element to draw the strand-wires therefrom, a counter-shaft to drive the machine and having a drank,- a pitman connecting the crank to the reciproca-- tory strand-wire-drawing element, a powershaft, connections between the same and the counter-shaft, to drive the latter, a reel-carrier rotated by the power-shaft, a reel in the reel-carrier having its axis at an angle to that of the power-shaft, and means to rotate the reel axially, substantially as described.

8. In combination with a revoluble reel-carrier having means to also axially rotate a reel, a traveling wire-guide, and a traveling weight on the opposite side of the reel from the wireguide, substantially as described.

9. In a reeLcarrier, a traveling wire-guid in combination with reversely-rotating screws, a dog carried by the wire-guide, and means to alternately engage the dog with the screws,

substantially as described.

10. In a reel-carrier, a traveling wire-guide in combinationwith reversely-rotatingscrews, a dog carried by the wire-guide, and cams at the limits of the path traversed by the dog, and adapted to alternately engage thedog with the screws, substantially as described.

11. In awire-barbing machine in combination with strand-wire-feeding mechanism, a revoluble barb-coiling element, means to inrest its rotation, and coacting means to prevent lost motion between the coiling elements and the detent, substantially as described.

12. In a wire-barbing machinein combination with strand-wiresfeeding mechanism, a revoluble barb-coiling element, means to intermjttently rotate the same, a detent to arrest its rotation, a crank revoluble withsaid coiling element, and a spring acting on the crank to prevent lost motion between the coiling element and the detent, substantially as described.

13. In a wire-barbing machine in combination withstrand-wire-feeding mechanism, a revoluble barb-coiling element having a stop, a detent to engage the stop, means to intermittently rotate the coiling element in one direction, and a spring-pressed element coacting with the ceiling element and tending to turn the latter in the reverse direction to engage the detent with the stop and prevent lost motion between them, substantially as described.

14. ha machine of the class described, the combination of a revoluble wire-twisting device, means to intermittently rotate the same, and means, including a spring-actuated device, to resist rotation of the wire-twisting device and prevent excessive rotation thereof. 7

15. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a revoluble wire-twisting device, means to intermittently rotate the same in one direction, means to prevent reverse rotat-ion thereof,'and means tending to rotate the said device in the reverse direction and thereby preventing excessive rotation thereof.

16. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a revoluble wire-twisting device, means to intermittently rotate the same in one direction, and means tending to rotate the said device in the reverse direction and thereby preventing excessive rotation thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

THOS. D. SHIRKEY, S. G. GILFILLAN. 

